Wire-stretcher



(No Model.)

A. J. BURBANK.

WIRE STRBTGHER.

No. 394,674. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABNER J. BURBANK, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,674, dated December18, 1888.

Application filed April 14, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABNER J. BURBANK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harvard, in the county of Hcl-Ienry and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vire-Strctchers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Serial No. 270,653. (to model shackle in such a manner that a movementof the free end of the hand-lever will operate i to separate theshackles or bring them tol gether as the hand-lever is moved in one or ithe other direction.

A wire-clamping device, 15, of the usual construction has a hook-and-eyeconnection,

This invention relates to a class of wirewith an extension, 16,projecting from one of stretchers using a smooth draft-bar upon theshackles, and is designed to grip and hold which the shackles operate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an upper face View of thestretcher. Fig. 2 is an under face view. Fig. 3 is an isometricalrepresentation of one of the shackles mounted upon a portion of thedraft-bar.

The draft-bar 1 is preferably of rectangular section having its end 2pointed to enter a post to fix its location thereon. A socket, 3, isfixed near the pointed end portion of the draft-bar 1. Hooks 4: projectfrom opposite sides of the socket 3 to receive the links of the chain 5surrounding the post to connect the draft-rod therewith.

Shackles consisting of a slide-socket, 6, a detent, 7, and a spring, 8,are fitted to receive the draft-bar. In this shackle the socket 6 is ofsuch dimensions as to receive the draft-bar and to slide lengthwisethereon freely, and is provided with a lateral projection, 9, perforatedat its free end to receive the hook end 10 of the detent 7. This is ofthe bar form represented, and is fitted to receive the draft bar 1 insuch a manner that force applied to its hook end in the direction of itsconnection with the socket portion of the shackle will cause it to crampthe opposite edges of the draft-bar between its opposite face edges andoperate as a detent to the shackle to hold it in position on thedraftbar.

The spring 8 is placed between the projecting end 11 of the detent andthe end of the 13 and to the sliding socket of the other.

the wire in the usual manner.

i In the use of my improved Wire-stretther the draft-bar is fixed on thepost in the required position by means of its pointed end and the chainsurrounding the post. The wire to be stretched, having its endpreviously fixed in position and braced in. the line of the fence, isplaced within the wire-clamping device 15, after which movement of thehandlever in the direction indicated by the arrow will move the shackleto which the wire is attached endwise on the draft-bar toward theshackle to which the lever is pivoted, and a reverse movement of thelever to that indicated by the arrows will cause the shackle to whichthe lever is pivoted to move endwise on the draft-bar to separate itfrom the shackle carrying the wire-clamping device. In this movement ofthe operating hand-lever in the direction indicated by the arrow thespring will be compressed to liberate the detent 7 of the shackle towhich the wire is connected and permit it to slide freely on thedraft-bar, and in the reverse movement of the lever the expansion of thespring will cause the detent to grip the draft-bar firmly to hold theshackle in place thereon, and this movement of the hand-lever willcompress the spring of the shackle to which the lever is pivoted whichwill liberate the detent 7 of this shackle and cause it to mow with thelever endwise on the draft-bar. These alternate movements of theoperating hand-lever will cause the shackles to move step by stependwise on the draft-bar to obtain the required tension of the wire. Thecompression of the springs will liberate the detents and permit theshackles to slide toward either end of the draft-bar.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a wire-stretcher, the herein-describedshackle, consisting, essentially, of a sliding tilting socket, and atilting detent having a loose connection at one end and a springconnection at the opposite end with the sliding socket, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with the draft-bar, of the herein-described shacklessupported upon the draft-bar, and each consisting of a sliding tiltingsocket, and a tilting detent hooked. to the socket at one end andconnected with the socket at its opposite end by a spring, and anoperating-lever pivoted to one of the shackles 10 and having alink-connection with. the other shackle, substantially as set forth.

ABNER J. BURBANK.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. BooDLE, E; S. HAMMOND.

